Pumping means



March 27, 1951 E. R. CORNEIL PUMPING MEANS Filed Jan. 2'7, 1947 FIG. 1.

Patented Mar. 27, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PUMPING MEANS ErnestRuckle Corneil, Niagara Falls, N. Y.

Application January 27, 1947, Serial No. 724,666

My invention relates to improvements in machines for the transfer offluids through flexible tubing at known and easily adjusted rates. Pumpsfor such purposes necessitate a careful choice of materials ofconstruction compatible with the fluids to be moved and in some cases ithas been necessary to coat all surfaces contacting the fluid withrubber, glass, or other resistant materials which likewise form otherparts of the fluid system. Such specially designed pumps are expensiveto fabricate and all require unusual and careful techniques to applythem into'the system of piping or tubing forming the fluid system. Withsuch apparatus speed changing devices are necessary to readily adjustthe rate of flow or in their absence, service interruptions areunavoidable while a mechanic changes the driving means. A very fewmachines are applicable to fluids carrying solid particles whichinterfere with-the valve action or clog the close clearances of movingparts used to impel the fluids. Failure of any link of the mechanicalsystem has required opening the fluid system while a replacement isbeing made. Neither can the same simple machine handle a number ofdifferent fluids independent of each other at the same time.

My invention which I have called a Sigmamotor is a machine for pulsing aflexible tube so as to create a positive unidirectional movement offluids at rates which vary with the dimensions of the tubing and thefrequency of the pulsation. It is not a pump but a mechanism. to converta standard flexible tube forming a part of a. fluid system into pumpingmeans. It is easily applied to one or more sections of tubing to form afluid transfer system having a capacity adjusted by the addition ofsections of tubing or by changing the tubes to those of differentsection, or by combining the tubing so that the flow of the smaller unitis subtracted from the flow from one of larger capacity to give anintermediate rate. Without machine adjustment, it permits the use oftubing ranging in internal diameter over comparatively wide limits andone or more wall thicknesses. It permits machine repair or replacementwithout opening the fluid transfer system. It allows the use of onemachine to create a flow in a number of completely isolated systems orproportions two or more fluids to the same or different systems. I YStill another feature not previously available in tube flexing machinesassures unidirectional flow without the use of check valves. It measuresa uniform amount of liquid. for each cycle of operation.

The flexing of tubing to cause displacement previously has causedexcessive wear since the force has been applied in a Way that causedundue internal stresses in the walls of the tubing. In

most cases one side wall of a section of tubing is displaced along thelength of the section a greater distance than the opposing side wallresulting in rapid deterioration and early failures. Again the sidewalls of the pumping section are not continuously supported requiringthickness and strength in the tube walls both of which adversely affectflexibility.

Friction losses normally occurring in valve operation reduces theefficiency of other pumping means and the lack of streamlined flowsprovides opportunity for the accumulation of solids in addition to lowerefficiency. Special valve mechanism and pumping means have been requiredto handle fluids containing solid particles or some form of filter toremove such solids must be installed to protect the pump mechanism.

The objects of my invention are, therefore, to provide a simple machinewhich permits the substitution of a commercial type of flexible tube fornormal pumping means, to simplify the rate changing means, to reducelthenumber of pump and drive mechanims for any given system, to provide moreefficient pumping means ata lower cost to reduce wear and increase lifeof flexible tubing involved in the transmission of pressure to a fluidsystem andto transfer solid particles without displacement from theirfluid medium.

These objects for improvements in tube flexing machines for the transferof fluids are attained by the machine illustrated in the accompanyingshowing two pieces of tubing in position one of which is in section.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts in each vlew.

Supported in a base i is a shaft 2 passing through journals 3 of aseries of presser bars 4,

each of which have contact faces 5 and 5 moved in the arc of a circle byyokes i disposed to engage cams 8 fixed with their major axis 9, auniform angular distance apart. This shaft it is journalled in I andextends to support the drive pulley i l. Fixed to l by screws is aresupports l3 and I4 which in turn have fixed thereto by screws l5 crossarms l6 and H. The cross arm I6 is drilled to position bolts I8 and I9and I1 is likewise drilled to position bolts 29 and 2!. These four boltsl8, l9, 2! and 2| have their heads countersunk in support plates 22 anda similar group in support plate 23. These plates, 22 and 23 are heldagainst the heads of I8, i9, and 2i by springs 24 which are restrainedby nuts 25, bearing on [6 and H. The tube positioning plates 26 and 2'!are supported on the ends of it and il (right) and i5 and I! (left) byscrews 3?. A series of holes such as 28, and 33 are spaced on the leftside of 4 and a second: series such as 3|, 32 and 33' are spaced on theright side of e and all a specific distance from 3. Identificationnumbers 34 on 26 specify the size of tubing to be used in the variousholes. inserted to illustrate the relative position of machine parts.

Rotation of the pulley ii and. shaft iii causescam 8 to push the yoke land swing 43 about its journal 3 on 2 through the limited arcera-circleadvancing face 5 towards 23 and then withdrawing; it. in eachrevolution. Likewise cam 8a pushes yoke Ia and swings ta about its axisbut since the major axis. 9 and id of 8 and 8a. are an angular distanceapart, the faces 5 and 5c of i-and 4a are not in the samephase relativeto 23 but follow each othe a uniform interval apart and progres sivelypress the side walls of 35 together and against 23: When 4a reachestheillustrated position. of 3, i in turn hasbegunto move away from 35..Likewise iicv is moving away from 23 and the fluid enclosed between tand ik is being for ed along 35 in the direction of ife. In the mean.-time t has begun to move away from 23 permitting; the side Walls-of 35to spring apart and receive fluid.

In. operation the tubing, 35, forming part of a closed'system isdrawnthrough the proper oper ing, say 39,. in tube positioning plate 26 and2? and. between 23: and contact faces 5' of i. Rotation of pulley i 6causes all p-resser bars to move in phase with each other causing facesto ad'- vanceand: compress 35 and then to retract and permitit to dilae.Fluids. are forced ahead or" presser-bars 4- which are in the phase" ofadvancingwhile additional fluid flows in behind the bars 4 thatare'recedin'g. As resser bars" 3 are adjacent to each. other. they form.continuous support on that portion of the o'utside'of 35'whichis underpressure. As the opening of the tubing, to permit the entrance of thefluid to the pumping section'is progressively larger as the chamh'er'in'creases involume there is no friction loss and no tendencyto collapsethe tubing by creating a reducedpressure. Solids hrth'e fluid do notcollect since there is no cl'iange in direction of flow noranystationary surfaces to accommodate their accumulation,

Since the moti'on-oith'e' presser bar's Ll to ife is inthe form of auniform wave and the tubing is completely col-lapsed byt least onepresserbar at all times, it is evident that the volume displacedbyone'revolutioncycle alwaysthe same. Therefore, given a specific sizeof tubing the volume delivered per unit of time: is proportional. tothenumber of revolutions-l Using a machine driven at a fixed rate; alenownvolume will be delivered. Inserting; one or more addi= tionaltubes'throughtheir proper openings and connecting them into the fluidsystem in parallel permits increasing the rate of new propoption. al'tothe size and number of tubes. By connecting' thersuct'ion endof'asmaller section to the'di'scharge-end of a larger section. an.intermediate rate equal. to the difference in: capacity of. the twosizes" is' obtainedl Figure 1 illustrates two Tubes 35 and 35am tubesconnected in parallel as could be used to proportion two fluids into acommon line.

As the tube support plates 22 and 23 are supported in planes parallel tothe faces 6 and 5 respectively of bars 4 when at the limits of theirtravel the reaction to displace the tubing away from the journal 3 issmall and by placing the journal 3 below the tube position, the weightof the tube and contents is permitted to counteract thereaction. I havercundtnat; by'limiting the angularity of the presser bar displacement toabout one-inch at a distance of eight inches from the journal 3, theforce of gravity is counterbalanced and that a section of tubing doesnot tend to creep either up or down but remains approximatelyhorizontal'between the supports 26 and 21. Again the presser bars ii aremoved at right angles to the axis of the tubing and have no movementalong this axis. Longitudinal strains in the resilient walls, normal toother tube flexing machines, are eliminated and-the reactionof theliquid pressure is" directly born by the presser bars i. I have foundthat this arrangement elim inates all appreciable external wear oncom-mew cial grades of resilient tubing.

The method of attaining the advantage of using a single machine tocreate the pumping means for a number of different fluids at one time isself evident. I have used a sing-Ioniachineto-produce vacuum, tocompress air, to cir= culate cooling water and to meter a, fluid feed,all at the same time. It is also evidentthat two or more separateprocesses can be served by a unit by bringing through it "flexibletubing connected into those systems.

The wave motion of presser liars l perm-its one bar to completelycollapse the tubing against either of the tube support plates 22 or 23-and thereby prevents the reverseflow of liquid and eliminates thenecessity for a valve system; These support plates 22 and areresiliently supported on springs 2:: to allow for slight d'e viations inwall thicknesses normally occurringin' commercial sizes of flexibletubing and topre= vent undue compression of the tubematerial shouldsolid materials betrapped at that section under the presser bar.Tlie'rnotion-ot the-b'ars, however, is such that the velocity in thefluid is greatest just as the side walls are about to touch each otherand this instantaneouslocal high ve= locity tends to" sweep out solidparticles in the di rection of flow. chine in combination with aflexible tubeefii= cient and economical means iorthepumping ofslurries'anj solid contaminated fluids.

practice it'has been found expedient to sp'ac'e the support plates 22'and 23 at different dis aces 6 and 5' respectively so thaterentwa-llthic'kne's'se's r eican'i'ple,in latlior'a to'r'y machines theon on side permits the use of tubing having a on Qgl'ith inch w llthickness while on opposite side the spacing its the use ofthree-sixteenth inch wall k-nes's;

I az aware that previous terry inve'iifiloff fiuids exible tubing by thethe rate of the res flow has been Va ed by changing the frequency of thepulsations; I', therefore, not claim broadly m'acl iihc'for thispurpose, but:

1. Pumpingrec-ans comprising a having a pair of spaced walls, a shaftsupported 'inthe tances from st These features make theme frame, aseries of presser bars journalled on the shaft to provide a commonpivotal axis therefor, each said bar having a tube-engaging armextending upwardly between said walls and a laterally extending camengaging arm, a second shaft journalled in the frame, a series of camsfixed to the second shaft, each cam engaging one of said cam-engagingarms, a plate having a tube-supporting surface mounted in the framebetween said walls in opposed relation to said tube-engaging arms, saidpresser bars being sucessively oscillatable about the first shaftthrough a common arc in response to rotation of said cam shaft to swingsaid tube-engaging arms towards said tube-supporting surface, resilientmeans engaging the opposite surface of the plate and normallymaintaining said tube-supporting surface in a plane parallel to theadjacent faces of said tubeen a i arms when at the limit of theirapproach to the plate, said walls having a pair of alignedtube-receiving and positioning openings therein located between saidtube-engaging arms and said plate, and a flexible tube extending throughsaid pair of openings between said presser bars and tube support plates.

2. Pumping means as defined in claim 1 wherein said common are has amagnitude of approximately one inch and a distance of approximatelyeight inches from said common pivotal axis.

3. Pumping means comprising a frame having a pair of spaced walls, ashaft supported in the frame, a series of presser bars journalled on theshaft to provide a common pivotal axis therefor, each said bar having atube-engaging arm extending upwardly between said walls and a laterallyextending cam-engaging arm, a second shaft journalled in the frame, aseries of cams fixed to the second shaft, each cam engaging one of thecam-engaging arms, a pair of tube support plates resiliently mounted inthe frame between said walls, one of the plates being positionedforwardly of the tube-engaging arms and the other of the plates beingpositioned rearwardly of the tube-engaging arms, said walls having aplurality of pairs of aligned tube receiving and positioning openingslocated between said support plates, said presser bars beingoscillatable in consecutive order through a common are in response torotation of the cam shaft to swing the tube-engaging arms towards andaway from the support plates, and a flexible tube extending through eachpair of openings between said presser bars and tube support plates.

4. Pumping means as defined in claim 3, the degree of forward orrearward movement of each tube-engaging arm being slightly greater thanthe internal diameter of each tube.

ERNEST BUCKLE CORNEIL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,933,196 Butler Aug. 15, 19331,988,337 Santiago Jan. 15, 1935 2,105,200 Phelps Jan. 11, 1938 FOREIGNPATENTS Number Country Date 546,834 Germany Mar. 3, 1932

